Schatz announces AmeriCorps funding for Hawaii

June 23, 2016

Hawaii will receive $2.7 million in new AmeriCorps funding through the Corporation for National and Community Service — a federal agency managing volunteering and service programs — Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) announced Wednesday.

Three competitive grants totaling $2.08 million, will support 531 AmeriCorps members working across Hawaii, according to Schatz’s office.

“This new funding is great news for Hawaii,” said Schatz, who serves as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “AmeriCorps members supported by these grants will serve across the state, teaching in high-need schools, improving public parks, and providing legal resources and other services to veterans and their families.”

Kupu, which will use 363 AmeriCorps members to improve Hawaii’s parks, and the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, which will be bolstered by 18 AmeriCorps members to help Hawaiian residents access legal information and resources, both operate statewide. The third grant recipient, Teach for America, which will use 150 AmeriCorps members on Oahu and Hawaii Island to staff 38 high-need schools, according to the office.